Ballymena '˜B' team claim first win of campaign

Ivan Lynn delivers a wood for Ballymena B during Saturday's home match against Willowfield.

The visitors had come down from Division 1 last year while Ballymena had gained promotion from Division 3.

In a really close, competitive encounter, which went down to the final ends, the Braid men claimed 6 of the 7 points on offer.

On rink 1 Mark Pearson, John McFall, David Torrington and Roy Torrington could only score 5 singles over the first 12 ends against K Drew while the visitors collected a total of 11 shots to lead by 6.

The complexion of the game changed on the next end when Torrington’s men picked up a count of 5 shots to bring them right back in to the game.

This appeared to unsettle the visitors and from then on the Braid men took control.

The Willowfield rink could only win 3 of the remaining ends as the Ballymena rink ran out victors by 19 shots to 14.

Billy McCandless, Arnold Kenny, Geoff Padgett and Sammy Allen were involved in a close game against J Millar on rink 2.

There was never much between the 2 rinks with the lead changing on several times however with 2 ends remaining the Braid men were staring defeat in the face as they trailed by 3 shots.

The Ballymena men drew on all their experience on the closing ends and a brace of 2’s saw them claim a narrow 1 shot victory.

Jimmy Gage, Nigel McFadden, Tommy Hill and Ivan Lynn were in good form against J Moore on rink 3.

The Ballymena men started well and with 5 ends played they led by 5 shots to 1.

The visitors clawed themselves back in to the game when they pick up a count of 6 shots and 3 ends later they lead by 3 shots but the second half of the game belonged to Lynn’s men.

They won 9 of the remaining 11 ends to turn a 3 shot deficit in to a 7 shot advantage and claim a well deserved victory by 24 shots to 17.

On rink 4 Leslie Barr, Stewart McCarthy, Danny McCullough and John Coulter took on G Childs on rink 4.

Both rink won 5 of the first 10 ends and at this stage of the contest the Braid men were very much in the game as they only trailed by 10 shots to 9.

The game changed over the next 4 ends when the visitors picked up a total of 11 shots.

Unfortunately there was no way back for the Ballymena men who eventually went down by 26 shots to 17.

This weekened, Ballymena B are on their travels with a trip to Salisbury.